La camisa puesta
I put on the shirt. (lit. the shirt putting)
It means to wear the company name proudly.
This reality type television show amounts to one long advertisement for the company being featured. A company boss goes undercover as a new employee so they can scope out how their companies actually function from an entry level point of view. They learn how their employees behave, what they think of their company, shortcomings that can be addressed, things not easily seen from their executive position.
The network gets their show, the production company gets their contract, the featured company gets an hour advertisement, shortcomings are identified and improvements made upon return to normal, outstanding employees are rewarded, So So, win / win / win / win. Isn't America great?
The show is bit contrived. There is a film crew present that affects behavior, after all. Even so, a few shocking things are uncovered.
This particular show got me, pow, right in the heart. I don't know how one can watch this and not be moved.
At 24:40 Fernando flies to Salinas California to meet Leo, a Mexican national working in the lettuce fields as crew supervisor.
This Leo is a real stud. He reminds me of a friend I knew from New Mexico. Gracious, reliable, considerate, thoughtful, and spiritual as can be. Completely liberal. He cut me off abruptly. I think because I failed to despise Bush sufficiently. I don't know. That was a real bummer because I liked Allen a lot. He had no interest at all in meeting any of my other friends. This Leo here does remind me strongly of Allen.
They take a break from their work and the boss asks incredibly personal questions. Each episode they do. Employees alway open right up and spill their guts. It's quite amazing how open people are. Nobody ever says, "That's personal." Maybe they do and those bits are edited. I do not know, but it is touching how many are eager to reveal personal details.
Fernando (undercover as Manuel) inquires about Leo's family. Turns out his wife lives in Arizona with their daughter, Paula, Fernando asks if Leo intends to have any more children. Leo answers, "No." There is a brief pause, "In fact he adopted."
Stand up guy, this Leo.
The whole time I'm watching, I'm thinking, "This is the kind of guy I want in my country."
I do.
At the end there is a reveal where the employees encountered are called to the office under some pretext. In this case back to Cincinnati to evaluate Manuel. It's a very good ruse. They're all thinking, "Wow, I get to decide this guy's fate. Heavy."
This show has a subplot. Fernando recently attained his citizenship. He believes pursuing citizenship is the most important thing Leo can do. This reveal is saved for last.
We learn the process cost Fernando around $15,000.
That shocked me.
How are poor people expected to cough up that kind of cash? Must everything be a profit center with U.S. government? Surely the process cannot cost the government that much money, and if it does then there are way too many government employees involved. It's exclusive.
My grandparents were immigrants and they never spoke of any such thing as oppressively high sum they all had to pay. Grandmother and her two brothers all immigrated plus my grandfather she married. None of them mentioned exorbitant cost. Except for the cost of traversing an ocean, and the emotional cost of leaving their home and their families.
So why $15,000 now? That's wrong. Immigrants should not have to buy their citizenship.
I'm against it costing that much.
Please watch, if you will. So you can become verklempt as I. There is a sign for "choked up," a fist closing at the throat. That expresses precisely how I feel watching this. The entire show is good. If you have the time, please do. It is entertaining besides the portion about Leo.
Leo spends 6 months in Arizona with his family and six months in Salinas. He has a high school education with no interest in persisting. He works 7:00 to 7:00 or 9:00 so no time for more school.
He hopes Paula can have a 9 to 5 job. From his point of view that is an American dream.
Fernando says, We're going to give you a week of vacation, so you can spend time with Paula and your wife.
Fernando, points to his lapel pin flag. (with Mexican flag on the cabinet behind him)
I want you, I want you to also have the American dream.
This is such a great country. And I want to make sure that we help you achieve that dream. In fact, we're going to pay for you to file your paperwork for American citizenship
It cost me somewhere around $15,000. But. I want you to become an American citizen. Does that work?
I come from a Mexican family. Our goal is to have a better life but in United States you can have whatever you want. You just have to work hard and be 100% at whatever you're given.
I had a great experience.I'm so happy.I mean,It's just,It's just shock.
6 comments:
I am all for greater immigration. That is what drives me nuts about the current system, it is quasi legal-illegal with employers benefiting on one end, Democrats on the other. What we should have is encouraging young families, professionals, etc. with sills and education that benefit the country in coming here.
I will say this, at least we are not getting lots of Muslims like Europe (sorry that is a way to really destroy your country).
I don't know anyone who doesn't think our immegration system is outrageous. I'm shocked by that cost too. WTF?
Synova said...
I don't know anyone who doesn't think our immegration system is outrageous. I'm shocked by that cost too. WTF?
Apparently, this is how they stay out from under Congress's purview: self-funded.
The first time I saw this I misunderstood.
I did not catch that the wife and Paula are in Arizona. I thought they were in Mexico. So I was imagining back and forth every six months.
Leo did not seem that excited about citizenship. It seemed a boilerplate response. For all his abilities as crew chief or supervisor or whatever, his training skills, he did not seem ambitious. I got the impression he liked things as they are.
I even imagined, due to his lack of excitement that he had a thing going on. Wife at home an another sumpin sumpin on the side. A mistress here in the U.S. and a small family back in Mexico.
I compared that with my own Dad's periodic absences. I know he was true. But I was not so sure about Leo, based on his lack of overt excitement.
But on second viewing I see him struggling to control his emotion. Look at his eyes.
I realize I was wrong. It really does mean something important to him. A gift more than he could imagine. Beyond his dream for himself, just handed to him. He is in a state of shock. And he says so.
I have a lot of respect for the man based on what is presented here. I can see him rising to Fernando's position with Chiquita. That is within the realm of possibility.
Fernando is really opening doors.
I also thought commenters might make a joke about bananas and the U.S. becoming a banana republic under Obama. True to an extent, but I'm glad you didn't.
Also, that lettuce is beautiful. It was cool listening him speak to the harvesting machine operator (also Manuel) in Spanish. Right there, his bilingual ability is an impressive asset. He trains Fernando who is a dummkopf in the field. But his instruction is clear and precise. His manner gracious. His orders to the operator the same way. I'm impressed all around.
And the lettuce is beautiful. I suddenly became hungry for crisp fresh green salad. And I have the perfect tomatoes too.
The two people who run my company directly under me on the organizational chart are an unrelated man and a woman who both came here from Mexico as children - the man as an infant and the woman at 18 years old. They worked their whole lives, mostly with me. They became citizens and raised families, bought homes, and lived highly prodcutive tax-paying lives. They personally hired, mentored, trained and employed over 1200 other people including many native-born Americans of all colors and creeds who then went on to similar success according to their ability.
These two people now make excellent money, have raised productive children with good educations and jobs themselves. They will inherit this company soon and continue to do this good work.
This story is not really a rare thing, but rather a new chapter in the story of the American dream. It's evolution, but it's still based in hard work, character, and drive.
@bagoh20: And it's still a matter of effective concentration.
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